Re: Is it too late?

[Kai Kaletsch <info@eic.nu>]

I would have never thought that I would have more confidence in politicians

than most people, but that seems to be the case.



A couple of decades ago, governments were spending money and running huge

deficits. Any reasonable person would have thought that it was "too late"

and that the current Argentina scenario would be played out in all of the

developed countries as well. This has not happened. Today, it would be

fairly difficult to get elected on a platform of lots of government services

and no taxes, without mentioning how you are going to pay for it. (At least

in countries with a minimum level of education).



Over the past few years, people have said that the public pension plan here

in Canada (CPP) was on the road to certain bankruptcy. We have just had a

huge increase in premiums. We may not be out of the woods yet, but it was a

step in a rational direction.



I don't think that politicians are inherently stupid or evil. They do need a

little push, however, to focus their attention. Perhaps last winter's energy

crisis was enough of a push or maybe it's still coming.



I predict that, in 10 years, we will have a reasonable energy policy. It

will no longer be possible to get elected by promising lots of cheap

electricity without environmental impact and no nukes, without going into

some detail of how you are going to do this. This detail would have to be

supported by at least some scientists and engineers.



If nuclear energy will play a role in a sane energy policy depends on

whether we can agree on a few basic things, once the politicians actually

come out and solicit scientific opinion.



Kai Kaletsch



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